Chhattisgarh: Sarpanch and Secretary Face Arrest for ₹18.42 Lakh Fund Misappropriation

Police in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, have arrested a Gram Panchayat Secretary and a Sarpanch for allegedly embezzling ₹18.42 lakh. The accused are charged with misappropriating funds from the government treasury. The case originated in the Arrahanpur police station area, where the then Sarpanch, Ramesh Korram, and Secretary Anoj Kumar Mandavi of Nilavaya Gram Panchayat are accused. They are alleged to have misused funds from the DMF account meant for fundamental and construction projects within the Nilavaya Gram Panchayat between 2022 and 2025. Following a complaint, the Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Panchayat Dantewada formed a three-member investigation committee. The committee’s report prompted the filing of a case by the Arrahanpur police under specific sections of the BNS 2023. The arrests were carried out on June 23 and 24, under the supervision of senior police officials, and the accused were subsequently presented before the court, where they were placed on judicial remand. The arrested individuals include Anoj Kumar Mandavi, the former Gram Panchayat Secretary, and Ramesh Korram, the former Sarpanch of Nilavaya.